


Only a Dream

by SadinaSaphrite



Series: Through the Years [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Character Death In Dream, Comfort, Fluff, M/M, Nightmares, Reaper76Week 2018
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-18
Updated: 2018-01-18
Packaged: 2019-03-06 09:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13408830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SadinaSaphrite/pseuds/SadinaSaphrite
Summary: They tell you that the dreams get better with time, but that doesn't stop them from hurting anyway.Day Four of Reaper76 Week 2018 - Defended





	Only a Dream

The building was coming down, there was no getting around that now. Gabe stumbled through the crumbling structure, coughing and choking on the smoke that filled every room. Was there a fire? There had to be a fire for there to be so much smoke. The building was going to collapse, though. That he knew. Where was Jack? He needed to find Jack before the building came down. Had to find Jack.

Walls crumbled as he walked past them, plaster and drywall falling apart like wet paper. There appeared to be nothing else in the building, every room empty of furnishings. Or maybe there was something behind the smoke. It stung his eyes and clouded his vision, but he still managed to find door after door as he stumbled through room after room. Where was the exit? Where was Jack? Where was all this smoke coming from?

He knew Jack was here. He knew the building was coming down. Therefore, he knew he had to find Jack before the building collapsed. He tried to call out, but he couldn’t seem to speak, only cough on the thick smoke.

Gabe continued through the maze of rooms, passing through door after door, each room seeming to collapse and crumble behind him, and he knew he couldn’t go back each time he passed through a doorway. 

Where was he? Gabe was growing more frantic the longer it took to find Jack. With each room, Gabe’s steps moved faster and his heart pounded harder in his ears. If he didn’t find Jack, they were both going to die! Gabe finally broke into a run, but the faster he moved, the larger the rooms became, and he still passed slowly and steadily from door to door.

“Where have you been, Gabe?” Jack stood right behind him, looking at him curiously. “What are you doing? Building’s coming down. We need to get out of here.”

Gabe could have screamed. Didn’t Jack now how hard he’d been looking for him? Of course they needed to get out of here! That’s what Gabe was trying to do all along!

“Nice building, though,” Jack put his hands on his hips and looked around at the smoke. He was in full Strike Commander uniform, including the tactical eyepiece. “Shame it’s dying. We should take a look around before it’s gone.”

What the fuck? No! No, that was a terrible idea! They were going to die, they were going to die right now if they didn’t leave! There was no time, they had to go now, Now, NOW!

Gabe lunged forward and grabbed Jack’s arm. The moment they touched, there was a crack like gunfire and Jack crumpled to the ground, sprawling on his back with a hole the size of a fist in his chest. Shotgun blast, point blank. Gabe didn’t remember pulling the trigger, but he knew he was the one who had done it.

“Huh,” Jack said, blood pouring from his mouth. “I told you we should have left. Why didn’t you listen, Gabe? Why did you leave me?”

_“Gabe?”_

He fell to his knees, dropping his shotguns and gathering Jack in his arms. No…no, no, no… What had he done? This wasn’t what he wanted!

“What did you do, Gabriel? Why didn’t you tell me?”

_“Gabe!”_

Gabe cradled Jack’s cooling form and tried to answer, but only smoke poured from his lips. It was everywhere. Filling his mouth, his nose, his lungs. He looked down in time to watch Jack’s decaying body dissolve into smoke. Gabe futilely tried to grab the black wisps before they floated away, but his fingers began evaporating, then his hands, his arms, vanishing into billows of black smoke.

_“Gabriel, wake up!”_

The smoke fully consumed him and Gabe screamed.

Something was holding him down, bound around his feet and legs. He kicked and thrashed, crying out as he tried to break free, until he finally opened his eyes.  
Jack’s room. Dark. Moonlight coming in through the window. The familiar shitty NASCAR poster, the sports car calendar, the old dresser and the full-body mirror beside it. 

He looked down at himself. Whole. Solid. Sweating. Legs were tangled in the sheets. Bare, apart from boxer briefs. 

“You back with me?”

He looked over to see Jack sitting on the edge of the bed, wisely out of thrashing range, looking at him with unveiled worry. Jack. Whole. Alive. Gabe pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes, trying to ignore the sting of rising tears.

“Y-yeah,” he rasped. “…I’m back. Shit. Sorry, Jack. Didn’t mean to wake you.”

“Hey, it’s okay,” Jack slid closer on the bed, gently rubbing Gabe’s shoulder. “That sounded like a bad one.”

Gabe let out a humorless laugh.

“Yeah. Yeah, you could say that.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Jack reached around to stroke Gabe’s back.

“No,” he said quickly. His resolve held firm for a solid eight seconds before he dropped his hands from his wet eyes. “…yes.”

Jack wrapped his arm around Gabe’s shoulders, pulling him close, and Gabe gratefully sank into his embrace, resting his head against the thicker man. 

“Talk to me, Gabi. I’m here,” Jack gently kissed his forehead. 

“Some of the usual shit,” Gabe mumbled, then fell silent. His fists clenched and unclenched around the sheets.

“Yeah?” Jack asked, encouraging, but not pushing.

“Yeah.”

Gabe fell silent again, and Jack didn’t ask again, just holding him close and gently stroking abstract patterns on Gabe’s shoulder with his fingertips.

“You were dying,” Gabe finally said. God, he hated this. Hated talking about this stuff. It made him feel weak. Like he couldn’t get a grip on his own head. Logically, he knew that was all bullshit, he’d been to enough PTSD meetings to know that nightmares were nothing to be ashamed of. Still, in the middle of the night, laying in his boyfriend’s arms and trying not to cry, he couldn’t help but feel pathetic.

“Shotgun to the chest. …I…” His voice cracked and he hated himself. “I think I pulled the trigger.”

“Oh…Oh, Gabe… Gabi… Gabriel, my one and only love…” Jack kissed his cheek and Gabe finally broke into silent tears. He caught Gabe’s hand and pressed his palm against his bare chest, over his heart. “I’m okay. See? You didn’t hurt me. I’m safe. I’m okay.”

“I k-know, but-”

“Shhh…Stop thinking. Listen. Feel.”

Gabe reluctantly closed his eyes, pretending there wasn’t wetness streaming down his cheeks. Jack’s heart beat like a steady drum under his palm, and his chest rose and fell with slow, even breaths. Combined with Jack’s radiant body heat and the strong arm around his shoulders, the even rhythm of Jack’s heart and breath slowly calmed him down. Gabe didn’t know how long they stayed that way before he finally let out a long, slow breath and relaxed into Jack’s embrace.

“Okay…I’m okay…” 

“That’s my Gabe,” Jack kissed the top of his head. “It’s just a shitty dream. We’re both safe, and we’re both here, together. I’ll keep you safe.”

Jack slowly sank back into the bed, Gabe curled against him.

“Yeah…” Gabe said softly. “…Thanks.”

He didn’t know how convincing he sounded, but Jack didn’t say any more on it, simply wrapping his arms around Gabe and gently stroking his back, trying to lull Gabe into sleep. Gabe closed his eyes and tried to focus on Jack’s fingers, trying to relax, and trying to believe his words.

Jack would keep him safe, huh? What about the other way around? Who would keep Jack safe from him? He thought about the smoke in the dream, pouring from his mouth, ghosting away as his flesh dissolved. His heart clenched as he lingered on how much he wanted to say to Jack, and how much he was afraid to. In the end, he didn’t mention the smoke. Just as he hadn’t ever mentioned Dr. O’Deorain. His thoughts turned to what the Dream Jack had asked him.

_“What did you do, Gabriel? Why didn’t you tell me?”_

Gabe wished he had an answer. He wished the smoke had stayed in his dreams. With that unhappy thought, he finally fell back into sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to get across that surreal, unnatural panic that dreams give you, but I'm not sure how well I succeeded.   
> Hit me up on [Tumblr!](http://dabbledrabbleprose.tumblr.com)


End file.
